Palazzo Farnese

Considered one of the finest High Renaissance palaces in Rome, this imposing block was begun for the Farnese family in the early sixteenth century, with Michelangelo among the architects who shaped its cornice and courtyard. It now houses the French Embassy, so interior access is by advance reservation. The chief treasure inside is the Carracci Gallery, a barrel-vaulted hall frescoed by Annibale Carracci with mythological scenes of the loves of the gods, a work that influenced Baroque ceiling painting.